[Rupture of aneurysm of the splenic artery during the first three months of pregnancy]

A rare but dramatic case of haemoperitoneum of non-gynaecological origin which occurred during pregnancy is reported. Obstetrical causes of shock having been excluded, laparotomy made it possible to discover an aneurysm of the splenic artery and treat it by resection-ligation and splenectomy. In such cases, the uterus is spared before the 6th month of pregnancy, and beyond that data caesarean section is mandatory. The pathogenesis of such arterial ruptures during pregnancy is unknown. The abrupt collapse accounts for the high maternal and foetal mortality. Prevention can only be achieved by surgical treatment of all uncomplicated aneurysm of the splenic artery in young women.